Fantasy Football Draft Tips

1. Prepare ahead of time* Get a copy of the rules, which should include the drafting method, scoring system, and prize disbursement for the league
* If you're a first timer, learn all the terminology with our FF Dictionary* Make a cheat sheet / projection sheet (or use ours)
* Read up on who other people think are sleepers (check out our Sleepers Page)

4. Keep your eyes peeled (and your mouth shut)* Pay attention to others picks, if everyone else already has 4 running backs and you only have 2,
you're in trouble.* Try not to say too much, you don't want to get a bad label* Just by watching the other drafters you can get a good idea of what you should (and shouldn't) be doing.

5. Be careful about bye weeksNever draft a backup QB that has the same bye week as your starter, it defeats the purpose of drafting him. Here's our list for this season.

6. Draft the best player available (don't fill your roster in order)
Some people (not knowing any better) will draft QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, K, D, QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, K. But it's much more important to get your third RB before a kicker. In it's simplest form, the value of a player is determined not by the number of points he scores, but by how much he outscores his peers at his particular position. Your league's particular scoring system is very important in making these kind of decisions.

7. Keep your cheat sheet to yourself
It doesn't do you a lot of good to "share" your cheat sheet with the owner next to you. Years ago I made this mistake and then he ended up with a better record than I did.

8. Bring the beer (if you're over 21), but don't drink* I'm sure you know, but just in case, the human brain does not function at 100% when it's under the influence.
* You will be seen as a great guy, but you're really just helping yourself because your opponents won't be at full speed.

9. Consider tradingIn between picks is a good time to think about trades. Maybe you're sure your big sleeper is going to be picked before your next turn, so try trading your next 2 picks for a higher pick. Or maybe you realized you made a mistake like #4, trade that player now and you can still come out ahead by getting 2 lower draft picks. Check out the draft pick calculator on our tools page.

10. Finishing upYour last few draft picks should be on some long shots. Don't waste these picks on older veteran players that have consistently scored a couple points a game. Take a chance on that rookie quarterback or a backup running back with a big upside.